Arabian Nights (old)

[Borys]

swamphen     
Posted: Feb 8 2006, 09:52 PM


Großeadmiral Sumpfhühn
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28 June, 1901

Herr Karl von Ludwig, owner of the Ost Afrika Line, relaxed as his private yacht sliced through the moon-sparked waters of the Gulf of Aden. Every few months he would travel to Djibouti to pick up a consignment of French wine; while the "normalisation" of Franco-Brandenburgian relations had taken some of the sport out of it from his perspective, it was still well worth it to acquire the best, genuine Champaigne.

An added bonus was the ability to avoid having to worry about what the ongoing sabre-rattling and -slashing with the Swiss, Chinese, Spanish, and Himmel-knows-who-else might wind up doing to his fleet of liners and cargo ships. All he had to worry about was his ship, his crew, his lady and himself...

The flash of the small-calibre gun to port, and the ensuing waterspout all too close abeam, were an indication that there might be other things worth worrying about, too.
   
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swamphen    
Posted: Feb 12 2006, 09:52 PM


Großeadmiral Sumpfhühn
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Apologies for jumping ahead into Q3, but this is "going to happen regardless" of other world events, and the muse knocked me upside the head right now, so...
---

19 July, 1901
eastern Persian Gulf

Kapitan Otto Münster scowled across the bridge of the protected cruiser Freya. He had been despatched a week ago from Neue Königsburg on a search mission; the freighter Poseidon, carrying a shipment of roughly two months' supplies for the Kuwait garrison, had been two weeks overdue. While the garrison maintained a six months' stockpile of all non-perishable items, the governor of the colony firmly believed that given Kuwait's isolated position, missing supply - any supply - Was Never A Good Thing.

Hence Freya had been ordered to make a circuit of the Persian Gulf, in case Poseidon had, perhaps, suffered an engine failure or run aground. Kaptian Münster had had some suspiscions differently, and they seemed to be, perhaps, closer to the facts.

Since the fall of the Caliphate of Cairo's government in its Arabian colonies, rumours had flown that the emirs and shieks who had retaken the reins of power had turned to their old ways of piracy to help fill their coffers (and pockets). Several fishing boats had indeed gone missing...and one had turned up dismasted and crewless. But no firm evidence had ever been found.

Freya's trawl of the Gulf's shore had turned up empty - as far as finding Poseidon was directly concerned. However some vital information had been gained.

The sheik of Bahrain, a canny man constantly playing off the French, Ottomans, Persians, Germans, and Caliphate - and formerly the Normans - to maintain the independence of his little group of islands, had received them gracefully but had had no infomation. Their reception by the emir of Abu Dabhi had been somewhat cooler; the man had given away nothing, but had also denied nothing.

The emir of Dubai, on the other hand, had seemed nervous. Not so much a guilty nervous, but a asked-to-tattle-on-his-neighbour sort of nervous. And as they had been leaving, their bag empty again, the man's chief enuch had approached with a vital tidbit of information. It seemed, the man said, that the Sultan of Oman had rounded up all of the ex-Caliphate torpedoboats that could be kept operational, and the crew to run them. "Two or three" were said to be, perhaps, in use, and "the Sultan has also made a gift of one to one of his friends to the south". Without another word, he had then slipped away.

And this information was the reason Kapitan Münster was scowling. It seemed most likely that the Sultan of Oman was, indeed, indulging himself in a little "playing navy". But in order to confirm this, Freya would have to pass the Straits of Hormuz - and the Straits formed the border of the Kuwait Squadron's operating area. Without prior orders, or in case of hot pursuit, exiting one's Operational Area was very, very seriously frowned upon by the Kreigsmarine. This meant that Freya would be forced to return all the way to Neue Königsburg with his information, which would have to be sent by underwater cable to Afrikaflotte HQ in Dar-es-Salaam, which would then order one of the ships at Goa - already derisivly nicknamed "Hindenburg's Navy" by the Kuwait Squadron - to invesigate on the other side of Hormuz.

Fuming as his command proceded north-west at best speed, Kapitan Münster made a mental note to make sure that his next command included one of those new-fangled Marconi rigs.
   
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swamphen    
Posted: Feb 20 2006, 08:49 PM


Großeadmiral Sumpfhühn
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16 August, 1901
offshore near Al-Khaburah, Sultanate of Oman

The battleship Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm cut through the Gulf of Oman at a stately five knots as her crew studied the shore through binoculars and telescopes.

The object of their attention was a battered, dismasted hulk that was pulled up on the shore like a beached whale. Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm had been ordered to the Gulf of Oman to "investigate the dissipearance of the merchant vessel Poseidon and determine any responsibility of the local government(s) in said matter."

They had called at Musquat, where the Sultan of Oman had wasted no time in installing himself in opulent luxury after the overthrow and departure of the bankrupt Caliphate of Cairo. They had requested an audience with the Sultan to "discuss matters of mutual interest". That request had been premptorarily and brusquely refused, and the dockworkers had been most uncooporative in helping to load the coal and provisions they had purchased.

They had also taken careful notice of the ex-Caliphate torpedo boats tied up at the docks. Most were in decrepid condition, and it would be a long time - if ever - before they went to sea again. One, however, had been distinctly different: freshly painted, its decks polished, looking to be fully crewed - and apparently preparing for a sortie.

After leaving Musquat, they had proceeded west along the coast, seeking any confirmation of the suspiscions that the Sultan's "pet torpedobooten" may have been responsible for the Posideon's AWOL status. They had sighted the beached hulk not far from Al-Khaburah, and had closed the shore for a closer look. The derelict, lolling to one side, did in fact appear to have a gaping hole in one side...and its silhouette, although severly damaged by fire, seemed to match that of the missing vessel.

With the incriminating evidence confirmed, Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm's capitan issued orders to increase speed and come about, clearing the coast and proceeding back to Goa, where the next step in this particular sea-crime could be dealt with by the diplomats...

KRUMPPP

Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm lurched violently as a fountain of water lifted off his port bow. Instantly the capitan knew what had happened - the Omanis had left the hulk as bait, hoping that passing vessels would investigate - and had laid mines in the area, seeking to increase their bag.

And now, they had bagged a battleship.

Shouting orders, the capitan hoped that the damage wasn't too severe. The Brandenburg-class schlachtschiffen weren't known for their underwater protection, however the naval architects believed that a single underwater hit would not be enough to do one in. Just in case, he ordered their course altered to take them closer to shore should a beaching be necessary, and hopefully take them out of the minefield...

KRUMPPP

...or not.

The second hit was just aft of amidships; the sickening lurch was followed by the port list correcting, then increasing at a steady rate to starboard. Knowing his vessel could not be saved, the capitan ordered Abandon Ship. He remained on the bridge, true to the traditions of the sea; his perch meant that even as Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm listed further, he was able to see the approaching plume of coal-smoke...that he just knew was the Omani torpedo-boat, looking to "rescue survivors"...
   
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P3D    
Posted: Feb 27 2006, 03:49 AM


Hegemon
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Oman, July 13, 1901

Martin Kranitz cursed loudly in the palace in a language (Slovakian) only his companion understood in the whole palace - or more or less the whole Middle East. He was a short, round fellow in his forties, in a formal - tropical - dress. He was a well-known (infamous, at least) arms dealer - Kranitz&Co., Industrial and Mining Equipment Import-Export Company, Capetown, Orange. His tirades were addressed to no one special, but the only one person who witnessed his outburst was Pavel Hanacek, a fellow of similar age, with the stature of a professional soldier - getting into business life after retiring from the Navy as a Captain(Ship-of-the-Line). He was one of those people of a natural linguistic talent. His Arabian was good before he came here, but a week exposure to the local dialects - and serving girls provided by their hosts - was enough for him to remove any trace of accent from his speech.
They were there as guests of Emir Al-Hassan, but he was there for the eighth day by now, and he could not make any advance in the negotiations. The tick walls more or less protected the interior from the scorching heat of the summer sun, but could not cool down his temper.
'Why doesn't that cunning sonofabitch of an Emir could not make up his mind? I was invited to sell those damned ships to his so called navy, but I did not me anyone, ANYONE important enough to decide on the deal, not mentioning His Grace himself?'
'You are aware of that it might be someone else interested in the ships' spoke his companion.'His cousin, for example'.
' Its bloody obvious to everyone that they cannot fool any with this masquerade, but they stick to so stubbornly. It's the Sultan who wants ships besides his boats, as the Emir himself do not have much more than a fleet of pearl diver vessels.'
'Bah. Even he cannot put more than one T-Boat on the water. You saw those in the Harbor? Of those, only one was in somewhat conditions at all. Do you think those pirates of his could keep anything bigger made of steel afloat? He'd rather try to get more of those boats. He might crave the ships as they are, but cannot really afford them. but if he wants bigger, we deliver bigger ones.'
'He has sand, pearl divers, some camels, not much more. And our Portuguese friends are getting nervous, and your connections informed us that the fate of the ships will be decided soon. Camels, hmm. I know someone might be interested in them, if they cannot offer much else. They might get the ships after all. You should try to get some beduin bandits who does not like the Sultan, so we won't be cheated too obviously'.
   
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swamphen    
Posted: Mar 3 2006, 08:44 PM


Großeadmiral Sumpfhühn
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29 August, 1901

Count Berhard von Bülow dropped the day's Brandenburg Gazette onto his desk. "As was expected, the Omanis are ignoring the 'friendly advice' from a certain other empire."

His guests nodded in agreement. The Count had requested that the commanders of the Heer, the Kriegsmarine, and the Abwehr meet to discuss what was to be done regaring the 'pestiferous microstate'. "I would think," Feldmarschall Helmuth von Moltke mused, "that 'punitive actions' are what you intend to suggest?"

The Count smiled broadly. "Indeed, Feldmarschall. And we may have help; Abyssinia has offered the services of some of their troops, and their navy..." He noted the expression on the face of the Kreigsmarine's head. "Allard?"

"I've heard some rumours about that 'battleship' the Abyssninan Empire has. Aside from being an ancient piece of junk, that is."

"That may be true, however even with muzzleloaders 20-inch barrels are nothing to sneeze at for shore bombardment." The Count shuffled a few papers. "Does the Abwehr have anything to add?"

Oberst Walther Nicolai looked up from his notes. "I would advise some caution before rushing into the Arabian peninsula. Reports from our agents in the Caliphate were that their government there would likely have been toppled even without their little implosion. The natives may not be very welcoming to a new set of foreign overlords."

von Bülow waved dismissivly. "If they didn't want to be messed with, they wouldn't have messed with shipping in the open seas. I will be proposing a formal declaration of war to the Kaiser this evening. Is there anything more to add?" He paused. "Gentlemen, I would suggest gathering the forces necessary to secure another place in the sun for His Highness. What do you think will be necessary..."



The discussion went late into the night. But long after his guests had left, The Count remained in his office, studying the large map of the Indian and Southern Pacific Oceans on the wall. "Yes," he mused aloud, "another place in the sun for the Reich. And unless I am very much mistaken, it won't be our final addition. I may be needing a larger map..."
   
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P3D    
Posted: Mar 5 2006, 03:46 AM


Hegemon
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Beira, Mozambique

August 05, 1901

M'sieur Kranitz and Captain Hanacek were standing on the deck of the yet unnamed sloop (ex-ORN Saldanha, ex -Zilveren Kruiz), tied to the last pier in the harbor. The ship was in much better state than it should be, and it was still afloat denying any official records of its fate - scrapped and under breaking up, at - or on the way to - some Portuguese colonial shipyard. They were eyeing the ragtag passengers disembarking the old liner.
'They look like a bunch of pirates...' sighed Kranitz.
'I doubt if at least some of them weren't pirates before' observed the Captain.
'But admit, you are impressed'.
One of the observed looked up - a short, wiry arab in one-white robe, with black eyes, a beak as nose, a not-so-well-kept beard which failed to hide a scar on his left cheek and a jeweled dagger scabbard on his side. He turned back to the pier and walked off the ship, apparently unaffected by the two-week-long journey, and started ordering the clueless and unoccupied would-be deckhands around.
'Well, the Omani managed to scrape these bandits together, they have too much of them. I still doubt that they won't sink the ships on the first day on the sea, but I was told that most of them served the Caliphates navy before - or on steamships at least.'
'Arrogant Arabs... They were so sure that they'd get the ships that they already had the crew for the two sloops before the deal was finalized.'
'There's something that disturbs me, though...'
'What? You, afraid of something?'
'That they might be able to operate the ship... And use it, for whatever they want. And hope they would not act as their pirate-like appearances imply.'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
OOC
About the sloops:

3000t, 16kts, 3000nm@10kts, 2x6", 4x3", 2x14"TT, 3" belt, 1" deck, 2" gun face armor, 6" CT

http://s4.invisionfree.com/Navalism/index.php?showtopic=1289
   

[Borys]

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swamphen    
Posted: Mar 6 2006, 12:03 PM


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*rubs hands together* Exxxxcelennnt. cool.gif
   
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P3D    
Posted: Mar 7 2006, 05:01 AM


Hegemon
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Intermezzo

August 13, 1901
Musqat, Oman

Monsieur Chautemps was an accomplished traveler – a bit corpulent fellow, of average height, in tropical dress, graying hair and beard covering his double-chin. He retired from business life at the age of 42, 3 years ago. He was an immoral businessman who amassed more than his due share of enemies in 25 years – and a wealth which essentially took care of itself. Deciding it was safer to spend some time abroad, he went on a world tour and just kept on traveling after that - frequently changing female companions. He visited other Arabian countries before, so he was familiar with local customs. But something was really amiss here, and he could not identify the source of uneasiness. The Arabs were a bit more hostile than usual against foreigners, prompting him to get more bodyguards (by the recommendation of the French consulate) and to spend money more freely than usual.

Arriving at the market, he suddenly froze. It was the camels – or that there were significantly fewer of them around than usual. And the corner where animals are sold was lacking them. Startled, he turned to his guard/bodyguard – in a French/Arabian pidgin.
' Where are camels?'
' Sultan rounded'em up. Had deal with crazy ferengis, payment agreed was camels.'
'They had to take all that was in Musqat because I hardly see any here! And I cannot imagine that the Sultan would buy anything that expensive!'
The guide smiled (snarled?) – showing some blackened teeth and gaps in the mouth.
'I told ferengis crazy, not stupid. Hired old beduin bandit - knew everything of camel. Beduin father to cousin's wife.'Another smile.'Sultan wanted cheat ferengis, but old beduin and crazy merchant were most clever. Took no old camel, but young and strong, and good mares. Sultan was wailing for a week after.'
'But...what did Sultan buy? Diamonds from Africa?'
'Sultan want to show he strong. To emirs. Has boats with machine-sharks. Need bigger ships – could not pay but camels for them.'
'But how Sultan knows navy?'
'Young sultan captain for Caliphate. Thinks he Sindbad reborn and cunning. Likes Allemands not at all'
M'sieur Chautemps just realized that the situation might be worse than the consulate let him know. He might have to get out of this hellhole as soon as possible. Unfortunately the Orange Star liner he arrived on sailed the day before, and he had no idea when the next ship would be available. It might turn out that his stay would more interesting than he expected.
   
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swamphen    
Posted: Mar 10 2006, 08:45 PM


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5 September 1901
Koani, Zanzibar

"Gentlemen, our country is going to war."

Feldmarchall von Klink, commander of the Heer in Ost Afrika, waited for the outburst of applause and questions to die down, and then began briefing his corps commanders with a gesture torwards the map on the wall of his office. "It has been decided that the former Caliphate of Cairo territories in Arabia, not to mention the lawless lands of Yemen, cannot be trusted if left to their own devices. Therefore, I am pleased to announce the launch of Fall Schwarz Geier".

He swung a pointer torwards Aden, the capital of the Sultante of Yemen. "In Yemen, we will be providing naval support only. Our friends in Abyssinia have expressed their desire to indulge in a little empire-building, and their troops will be landed here" the pointer moved to Al Mukalla "and here. Odin will be conducting fire support at Aden, with Herta at Al Mukalla.

"Our own forces will be landing in Oman at Salalah," another dance with the pointer "Musquat," and a flourish "and Al Khasab. Kaiser Freidrich III and Amazone will support the strike at Salalah, Brandenburg and Medusa off Musquat, and the Kuwait Squadron at Hormuz." Klink consulted his notes. "VIII Korps will be landing in the south of the country, IX Corps at the capital, and I Cavalry Corps will be cutting off the northern peninsula. Any questions?"

A young Oberst cleared his throat. "Herr Feldmarschall. Are any of the other countries in the area of concern to this operation?"

"Aside from Abyssinia, it is believed that the Ottomans are too busy with their own internal affairs to have many concerns elsewhere. The Persians, on the other hand, are a wildcard, the Abwehr cannot detect any signs of their supporting or opposing our move at this time. Any other questions?" A pause. "Then we must prepare. Schwarz Geier launches in two weeks..."
   
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swamphen    
Posted: Mar 23 2006, 08:22 PM


Großeadmiral Sumpfhühn
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7 September 1901
Neue Brandenburg

'A report from an agent in Maputo states that two Orange Republic (former Dutch) sloops have arrived at the port for scrapping by a Portugese company, but have instead been turned over to "crews of apparant Arabic origin". Intelligence believes that the Sultanate of Oman has purchased these vessels...'

Count Bernhard von Bülow placed the Abwehr report on his desk and turned to the map on the wall. The Second Reich's foreign minister considered the information; the Orange Republic had clearly distanced itself from the sale to the troublesome sultanate; this meant that "direct" responses were ruled out (for the moment), but there were other, perhaps more "interesting" ways of making the pesky Boers realise the error of their ways.

The Count's eyes fell on the large, hatched area on the map in south-central Afrika. With a chuckle, he turned back to his desk and pulled out a pen...

---

19 September 1901
On the edge of nowhere in southern Zambia

Colonel Karl Schultz watched as the small group of askaris left Fort Zinderneuf and headed south. Carefully picked from a group of voluenteers for an "extraordinarily dangerous mission", they carried a proposal from the Reich to the Chief of the Zulus. In exchange for the establishment of a fixed border along the Zambezi, Brandenburg would supply arms, ammunition, equipment and training to the Zulus for use against the perfidious Orangemen, and perhaps the Portugese (although the latter had only been obliquely hinted at).

The problem, of course, was getting the message to the Zulus' chief without getting torn to pieces first...
   
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Borys    
Posted: Aug 28 2006, 10:49 AM


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Feast of Saint Nicholas, December 6th 1902, Aden

- "Allah Akbar! Kill the infidels!"
- "Stupid camel ass fondling thieves" - thought Obermatrose Mustafa Hadjiyevic. "I'm probably a better Muslim than you are, you goat dung sniffer." One of his ancestors had made the Hadj, and his surname was testimony to the fact. And during the November patrol in the Red Sea the Kapitanleutant ("May Allah be merciful to his infidel soul") gave him leave to visit the Holy City. He now proudly wore a green string around his cap ("What respect will I get back in Mostar!").
- "Infidel ... " - he sniffed, nursing the insult. He tried to discerm where the blasphemer was hiding, and to put him in the sights of his Mannnlicher. And he asked himself a question which had nagged him for the last few days. - "Why didn't that pig headed idiot not arrange for Blood Money? Everybody knows that in such cases the Elders of the Clans arrange for appropriate compensation in gold or sheep. Otherwise the Blood feud can run for generations."

***

- "Maybe Aden was NOT the friendliest of cities, but did it have to come to this?" - wondered Kapitan zer See Siegfried von Weltschmerzen und zu Shadenfreude. He had in mind the fires over the wrecked city, the stench of rotting bodies around the warf held by the thin line of Austrian sailors and Marine Infanterie. All hell had broken out lose only four days. It was a Friday, and one of the NCOs off the SMS Hajduk went to the souk. He promptly lost his wallet to a young pickpocket. Seeing the urchin jeering him across the stalls, the Oberbootsmann pulled his pistol and shot the little git dead. Or so said the men who had gone with him and made it back. The NCO himself had been ripped apart before he reached the young criminal's body to retrieve his wallet.
When the lucky ex-shoppers reached the ship, he ordered a platoon from the Marine Infanterie Abteilung to go the souk. There they nabbed a dozen darkies and brought them to the Habsburger encampment. He had the dragoman inform the locals that either they turn over the culprits of the murder, or the hostages will be shot. Well, they did not. He ordered the wogs shot and their bodies dumped outside the gate. The city started to buzz and after third Prayers the town exploded. All Europeans caught in the streets were murdered immediately. Those who lived further from the port also, only those in the vicinity of the Austrian positions surviving. Then came a wave of bearded, angry, scruffy, knife or rifle waving Arabs. They tried to swamp the ships. And again at night. And at dawn. The bodies left behind by thse attacks were those giving off the worst stench.
His one attack to cleanse the town had failed as well. With all the ordnance on the ships, he had no mobile artillery to blast barricades. In frustration, he ordered the city shelled. Little Aden, where no disturbances had been noted also. So now the whole city burned ... And the verfluchte schweinbrusten had managed to set afire the coal supplies, the heat of which forced him to pull back into a small corner of the port and onto the ships. And the heat had destroyed part of the replenishments stored in neraby warehouses. So to feed his crews and surviving Europeans he had to go bite into ships stores. Bad ...
- "We will have to atack again. And kick out all the murderous wogs into the desert. And keep them there. The infantry regiment the Heer has so thoughtfully assigned to Aden should dock tomorrow. Providence. I will pay for 10 Masses, no, 20 after this is over."
He licked his cracked, dry lips - "And I hope the Pandur gets back from Zeila* fast."
He was thirsty. The one well in their hands was barely enough for the wounded.
A thought kept nagging him - "Maybe we should have used Perim as base after all. Perhaps with cisterns to store rainwater ... "

*******
* Zeila - small port on the border with Djibuti, in N-verse belongs to Abissynia.

EDITED - I ADDED A BIT TO MUSTAFA'S MUSINGS
   
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The Rock Doctor    
Posted: Aug 28 2006, 04:45 PM


Hegemon
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Good thing for Lt. San Martino that he's over in Macau at that point. Not so good for the rest of the Gran Colombian consulate.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Aug 28 2006, 11:01 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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OOC
Ahoj!
That depends on how far from the port they were located.
They COULD have survived.
Borys
   
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P3D    
Posted: Aug 31 2006, 02:46 AM


Hegemon
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On the Omani reactions on the Habsburg adventures in Aden.
So reported by the naval attachés exiled to the port of Masqat, Sultanate of Oman.


Does the Empire of Austria hold onto one festering cesspool in the Middle East? The Sultan of Oman at least warmly welcomes the diversion in the neighboring country. His Majesty fears that Yemen would fall into ghaur hands, and will have to do something about it, at least to save face. Fortunately His Majesty's brilliant schemes usually takes some time to ripen.

Nevertheless, the Sultan regrets that the port of Aden would be closed for merchant shipping for the forseeable future, fortunately the port of Musqat remains open to ships wishing to recoal. And merchants should rest assured that their ships will be protected by the great Omani fleet, which is patrolling the Omani coast, and managed to supress piracy with great effectiveness. With help of the single Orange frigate that can always can be found stationing there. Orange seamen were spending a lot of money earlier in the year.

Note: most of the supplies sent on sea to the Austrian fleet stationed on the Far East failed to arrive at the destination - they even failed to reach ports in India to recoal. Most of them were reported to be caught by Orange commerce raiders, but the fate of some Austrian merchant en route to China is yet unknown.

In the meantime, travellers noticed, that in the súk there were a lot of high-quality, dominantly Czech-made goods on display, for bargain prices. And the Omani fleet apparently managed to get another teo old Caliphate boat on water - at least they left the harnor on their own power, and were dripping of fresh paint and seawater. It's not known where the apparently Whitehead(of Fiume)-manufactured torpedoes came from, which now equips the newly refitted boat, although a name 'Kranitz' was mentioned several times. And the uniforms worn by the TB crews really resembles the Austrian one, although it looks really strange with the ornate daggers in scabbards, especially on dark-skinned and wiry former 'fishermen'.

[/ooc]
there's some amendment to the article, to be clear on the fate of the crews of the Austrian ships
   
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Borys    
Posted: Aug 31 2006, 05:38 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Nothing to see, move along

[Borys]

Borys     
Posted: Aug 31 2006, 05:42 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Outside of Aden, 30th December 1902

Mustafa Hadjiyevic was a happy camper. He was on a sweep of a perimiter around the ruins of Aden, now a better part of a day's march away. It was cold, and the Matrosen made camp around the carts, one of which carried the deck 37mm gun taken along for safety. They huddled closely together in their overcoats. In this regard the Marine Infanterie were lucky - the soldiers from the 50th Gyulafehérvár Infanterie Regiment were sincerily planning to murder their Corps District Quartermaster. They had been issued uniforms originally made for the Schultzetruppen Regiment stationed in Sud-West Afrika, they explained in halting German before slipping back into fericous sounding Hungarian. The summer uniform ... Mustafa sympathized with the hardy Szekley mountainers - he shared their belief that anybody linked with military procurment and stores was a thief by definition - regardless of race, creed or sexual perversion. Anyway, the cold brought about another benefit - their "cargo" stank less.
Should he had kept his mouth shut or not, he wondered for the umpteenth time ...

- "Gentlemen, the next point - we must get rid of the bodies ... Feldfebel? Oh, the sailor to be decorated. Good that all three of us are here. Obermatros Hatschiyefitch?"
- "Zum befehl, Herr Oberst!"
- "So this is the brave lad that volunteered to continue fighting in the city after his shore party was withdrawn. Who served my boys as city guide, so to speak. The Heer is grateful. This Medal for Bravery is fully merited, sailor ... oh, and you are giving him another one? The Navy Merit Award! Bravo! ... Oh, this stench of corpses is really unbearable."
- "Obermatros Haschitschefit! You are promoted to Maat! And your request for transfer into the Marine Infanterie granted! Good for you, dismissed. We must get rid ... "
- "He wants to say something. Karl, now that he's yours, you ask him."
- "You wanted to say something, Maat?"
- "Jawhol, Herr Korvettenkapitan! In my village when we kill somebody from another village, we put his head on a stick and ...
- "Splendid! Excellent idea from our wild Bosnian boy! Yes, exactly what Vlad the Impaler did with the Turks! You're a bright one, you'll make Obermaat in no time! Dismissed!"

So two days later he was marking out the "no go" zone for Arabs around the city, by putting up heads on wooden stakes. Stinking work, it smelt as bad as that sheep that broke her leg and drowned in a pool on the Vrh Crnego Krka 3 summers ago. Or was it four summers ago? Still he prefered this task to seeking out survivors - some men, but mostly older folks, women and children - in the ruins and kicking them out into the desert. Maybe it was a good thing after all, that he hadn't kept his big, stupid mouth shut two days ago ...
   
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Borys    
Posted: Sep 3 2006, 08:44 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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January 1903, Mediterranean Sea on s/s Morslieb, then near Aden

Poslusni hlasin, Pane Kapitan, je u nas ruhauvka!
Hauptman Strahomil looked at Feldwebel Hasek with disbelief - "There is a revolt? But you are alive ... What's happened?"
- "The Spanish are refusing their new headgear. The red berets we were issued just before the order to embark for Aden, Sir! Today I ordered them to put them on istead of the kepis, and they said no, they won't. I tried to talk sense into them, but they continued saying that no, that they can be all shot, but they will not put them on. Then I got angry and told that they are red scum so why not, they fought under a red flag. Then they said that it "a Spanish thing" and that I will not understand and for me either to shoot them or to shut up! This is serious insubordination!"
Strahomil pondered the issue, then replied:
- "Hasek, I'll explain it to you like one Czech to another. Tell me - which NCO had duty on Our Lord's Day? And who is on duty today? Tell me."
- "But you know perfectly well, sir!"
- "But still, tell me, it's an order!"
- "On the 25th Feldwebel Haiducescu had duty, because it was the Catholics' and Protestants' Christmass. And today I'm on duty as Haiducescu and other Orthodox fellows are having theirs."
- "So, you see, feldwebel, that the Imperial-Royal army can be accomodating to matters which in the greater order of things do not mean much, yet are of great importance to some groups. Do we give Boshniaks peaked caps? No - we give them fezes so it is easier for them to pray, and they are happy, even if they have to squint in the Sun. So, if this is some sort of cultural thingy for them, then tell our Spainiards that they can wear .... black. Yes, black is good, always in fashion. Tell them that they are docked two weeks pay for disobedience, and that they will have to dye the berets themselves. If they make any more noises over this, tell them that this time I will get angry. Dismissed."


****

- "Viva la muerte!"
Went up the battlecry as the Freiwilligers charged up the side of the gully. A few went down, but others made it to the top. Faced with bayonets the Yemeni highlanders drew their rhino-horn handled daggers and sprang at the wave of black berets. And so Spainiard fought Moor again, like they had for a millenium.


****

- "What were the men shouting when they attacked, feldwebel? Did you check?"
- "Yes, Sir. I was worried they could be shouting - if you excuse me saying so - "stuff the Kaiser" or something equally unnacceptable. But they said that it ment "Long live death", or something like that. The boys said that they are "desperates" or something, as they cannot go back to Spain - Reds will kill them as traitors, the Whites or Carlistas will kill them for being Red - so they don't care if they live or die. Am I to take any action, sir?"
- "No. Long live death is acceptable. Dismissed."

- "Viva la muerte - long live death" - Strahomil mulled it over. Did Haiducescu get it right? Maybe it was more like - "up with death", or "praised be death"? How would it go in Czech - "Na zdar smrt!" Nice sound to it ... "Hoch mit Todt!"? "Heil Todt!"? He was not sure which he preferred. Maybe he'll suggest to the Oberst for this to become the battlecry of the regiment.
   
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Phoenix    
Posted: Sep 3 2006, 01:01 PM


Hegemon
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<chuckle> I foresee morale plunging rather spectacular in those regiments... tongue.gif
   
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Borys    
Posted: Sep 3 2006, 01:21 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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OOC
Viva la Muerte! has served the Spanish Foreign Legion quite well ...
<http://members.aol.com/Spain333/legion.html>
Also, don't you know a certain scene in a certain book and movie (quote from memory):
Ride! Ride! For death! For ruin! For the Worlds End! Chaaaaaaaaaaaaaarge!

The "third" in the poorly translated song was originally "tercio", which ment a brigade/regiment in the XVI-XVIIth centuries. The name was resurected and used for the regiments of the Legion.

Legion's battle cry

'Long live death!'
'long live Spain'!
'long live the King!'
'Long live the Legion'!

HEROIC THIRDS
(Hymn to the Legionaries)
A.Soler/Fco. Cales

1
Heroic thirds, brave Legion
that in vanguard you know to die
they are the pride of our Spain,
your feats when fighting.

Those that in Spain you have not been born
and it bleeds and life you give its honor,
children of Spain you are favorite,
that you have gained his excelso love.

Legionaries, to fight:
legionaries, to die.
Legionaries, to fight,
legionaries to die.

Refrain
The Alive Spain, brave brothers.
The Alive Spain, Inmortal legion,
that is great glory to die by Spain,
prisoner to sublime ideal.
With the blood that spills their children,
leafier the laurel will appear,
of which we will make crowns that
Spain in his sienes augustas will put.

The Alive Spain!
The Legioin lives!

2

Or it arises robust, ferocious fight,
or of the fight stops the eagerness
you notice that they surround always
loving subtle shades to you that a kiss they give you.

The thought of whole Spain vedlo
in tenuous the fleeting rumor that never
stops of acariciaros of your steps around.

Legionaries, to fight;
legionaries, to die.
Legionaries, to fight,
legionaries to die.

Refrain

The Alive Spain!, brave........

3

Invictos thirds, Legion of brave
to the entire world, with arrogance,
because you of the entire world are
honor and prez.

Where the fallen one cried distressed,
where a brother the life gave,
where treasons request revenge
our fierceness always went.

Legionaries, to fight;
legionaries, to die.
Legionaries, to fight,
legionaries to die.

Refrain

The Alive Spain, brave......


ADDED LATER:
To think of it, after some work (and renaming the Auslander Korps to Freiwilliger Legion), this morbid song could become the hymn of the Austrian Foreign Legion

This post has been edited by Borys on Sep 4 2006, 01:42 AM
   
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Borys    
Posted: Sep 4 2006, 03:05 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Tent in ruins of fort in Aden, January 17th 1903

The freshly appointed Gouvener of Aden, Oberst Baumundziegel studied the map again. How knew that he could count on a permanent garrison of 4 battalions of those morose Spaniards. Now where to position their camps? At least two on the Skull Line ... here and ...

Der Totenkopf Gebeit - The Skull District - he shuddered. Even he himself was using that awful name. He was aghast when - upon his arrival - he learned of the Fence of Skulls. And other things the three highest officers here had been doing. When he roared at them - "What the )^&%*! do you think you are doing?!? We are civilized people, not some jungle bunies with bones in their noses! What will Europe think? What will ... Brussels say to this?!?" - the whole birdbrained trio chirped in a chorus - "Screw Europe, Herr Platzkommandant!"

Well, he managed to get rid of that blood thirsty krank, Oberst von Blutwurst, him and his wild Transylvanian regiment. He, his regiment, and that dumkopf Kapitan zur See von Weltschmerzen und zu Schadenfreude will both be on the s/s La Donna Mobile sailing for Pola with the evening tide. A pity he couldn't send the Marine Infanterie Abteilung and its CO with them too. The Marine Amt was cooperative over the ex-head of cruiser division, but the freshly promoted Marine battalion CO - Fregattenkapitan Rezunov was apprently not transferable - due to freshly acquired hero status. Deranged nutters, all three of them, he thought. Where do we get them from?

Hadn't they been his equals - he'd had seen to their future appointments not being very pleasant. But so, he had to content himself with seeing them gone. Hopefully, the Oberstleutnant in charge of the Freiwilliger Brigade, Hans Schnitz looked normal. Live and see - he sighed. Now, back to the plans ...

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east..._nautical90.jpg

When he learnt of this appoitment in mid December, he realy hadn't expected a depopulated pile of ruins, but a town - with some damage from fighting. Well, this gave him the oportunity to start with a clean slate. The old fort was a good place to position QF ordnance to cover the outer anchorage against small boats - so it should be rebuilt. But what of the other side - Little Aden? Should there be another such fort there? And what to use the mountain for? Maybe catchment area for cisterns? But they say it never rains here ... so, wells? Aqueduct? Dam the waddi? But if there is a siege ... so, cisterns after all? There seemed to be some ruins in the ravines on that great piece of rock ...
http://www.questia.com/PM.qst;jsessionid=G...=o&d=5000432417

And what about the mountain overlooking Little Aden? He should base one battalion there. And transfer coaling operations to across the bay - thus keeping the main part of the town cleaner.

OK - he now had a concept for the garrisoning forces - one battalion in Little Aden, two others half way to the hills, on both sides of the ruins (he winced - worse than Vandals, those three) of Lahij, one half-battalion camp half way to Zinjibar ... must get some horses - half a squadron for scouts and messengers will be enough ... maybe the Abissynians had horses - will send Rezunov to them to buy the horses, so he'll be out of my hair for a fortnight at least
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east...en_rel_2002.jpg

... and how to rebuild the city. Everything burnt, dynamitied, or a mud hut not worth keeping ... he'd love a proper perpendicular grid, but the terrain was too broken for that ... French style star system? ... or long streets following contours of the terrain, with short steep roads joining them? ...

And the port ... luckily the fighting did not produce wrecks, so no salvage operations needed ... but the dredge was burnt, off course ... need to order new one from Pola ... the dry dock ... all ancilliary machinery destroyed by those mayhem loving butchers .. has to be replaced ... and the dock cleared of rubble and ...other things ... happily the piers were not destroyed and ships can come alogside and use their own derricks to unload stores and materials.

Soon he should be getting civilian settlers. Gott in Himmel! Where will he put them up? Good that rain wqas not very likely here - tents should be enough for some time. Brick for houses? No, no clay here. No wood either. Concrete - well, there was lots of sand here. And rock - so maybe build of stone? Cool in summer ... surely it is a hellhole in Summer? And there must be a hospital. He'll request a corps level army hospital before anything civilian springs up - the hacks will get some practice that way - oh, must make a note for some obstetritians to be added - I'm sure they WILL have babies here (he raised his head, as if expecting some irreverent female to be in labor at his doorstep this very moment) ... being a guvernor is hard work ...



****
Kapitan zur See - naval equivalent to Oberst
Fregattenkapitan - naval equivalent to Oberstleutnant
Oberst - colonel
   
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Borys    
Posted: Sep 7 2006, 12:56 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Aden, 28th of January 1903

- "Tell me more about that mission of yours, Karl-Heinz."
- "Not much to it, I must say. And some parts I can't talk about yet. Basically I am to drag along at 8 knots and see to that the freighters come to no harm. Somebody in Vienna must be paraoid about pirates. Then I am to tour the South Seas. To show the flag. On the way I also am to make an impression with my ship in the Phillppines - together with the bloke at - what's the name - Olongapo - we're to prepare a cruise of the archipelago."
- "Lots of unchartered waters ... "
- "Yes. It's easier for the small cruisers, but I have a draft like a battleship."
- "While we are at it - warn the officer in charge over there ...
- ".. von Templehoff ... "
- "... thanks, Templehoff, about Rezunov. You'll have to pick him up yourself, by the way, you must detour to Zeila. That guy is a real nutter. If not controlled, he'll procure a blood bath. If a local looks at him askance, he'll hang him, or IMAPLE him, burn his house. And that'll be for starters ... "
- "Thank you for the warning, I'll pass that on. And what about your station - it looks a bit like an island, doesn't it, Hans-Peter? A mountain nest, with the sea of water on side, and a sea of sand on the other?"
- "Ha! Come and visit your older brother in 10 years time. This will be the Garden of Eden! It's true that it rarely rains here - the Gran Columbian diplomat, who has been here for a few years, says that one winter it rains, the other it doesn't. But that doesn't matter - there are usually dry gullies running from mountains, and I will ... "

EDITED DUE TO INFORMATION FROM OTHER THREAD
   

[Borys]

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P3D    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 01:50 AM


Hegemon
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His Majesty the Sultan of Oman, upset by the heinous acts commited by faithless Austrians, he graciously offered to provide supoort for the tribes living in the Hadramaut. Omani warships also visited the ports on the Arabian Sea, including Al Mukallah and Ahwar, where a small contingent of Arab warriors were put on shore, as a sign of his support.

In other news, His Majesty the Sultan of Oman requested the Republic of Orange to provide military advisors to reform the Army and the Navy of the Sultanate.

[OOC]
The sultan is caereful, for all this rhaetorics. His units will to get within firing distance with the Austrian troops (and preferably remain out of sight too), and in the meantime he is in the process of bribing tribal leaders to accept his nominal authority over them, who are eager looking for such, as they fear that the predominantly shiite Sana won't provide any help. Meanwhile trying to restrain those leaders from attacking the Austrians - leave that work to the North Yemeni shiite kaffir[/]s from Sana, and enjoy the fireworks.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 02:48 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Aden, February the 1st 1903

Note from Governor Oberst Baumundziegel to Sultan of Oman

Oh, most Powerful of Monarchs! May your lands be unmeasurable, the fruit of your loins beyond count, and your camels free of foot and mouth disease!
We, the unworhty servants of the Austrian Sultan, are happy to see Omani forces curb the local pirates AND bandits, which is good for business (may Your coffers burst with gold!).
We hope the Omniscient and Omnipotent Sultan will make it clear to stupid goatherds who have not yet basked in his Wisdom, and to any other unwise people, that to cross the Line of Skulls is sure death. This humble slave asks for enlightement as to the livery worn by the Great Warriors of the Sultan, as to avoid sorry incidents. The janissaries of the Austrian Sultan wear blue - in two shades - with large black flat caps.
Soon the port of Aden will be able to accept the Sultan's ships bearing goods for trade. The sea route between Muscat and Aden is free of pirates due to the efforts of our two countries' Brave and Skilled seafarers.

The last amongst the Austrian Sultan's slaves
Governor of Aden
Hans-Peter Baumundziegel


****
The Monarchy has its Blutwursts and Rezuns and Schadenfreuds, and it has its Baumundziegels ...
   
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Borys    
Posted: Sep 8 2006, 05:10 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Off Zeila, February the 1st 1903

Maat Mustafa Hadjiyevic was excited. He was on his way way to the Far East! That's what he joined the Navy for, not one of the infanterie regiments. Even though it had involved an - incredibly long for him at that time - trip to Sebenik, to present himself as volunteer at one of the three coastal recruitment commands supplying men to the Navy. Although there was gossip among the men that the recruitment system was to change - that service in the Navy was to be for volunteers only, although for 6 years at least. But with better pay too. He was tempted - compare THIS and the chimneyless hut in the hills over Mostar ...
Yes, to get to know the world. However, at that time his imagnation did not further than what's beyond the island which he could see beyond the sheep on the slopes of Vrh Crnego Krka. Aden was great! And Mekka better still! Praised be Allah! But after the sand and Arabs he'd gladly see something new. And it was good to be back on a ship.
He'd been integrated into the battalion together with the replacements. He got a section of his own - partly veterans, partly fresh. No language problems - like all other rank and file in the Navy, they were a mixture of Croats, Germans, Italians, and some Slovenes. With an odd Serb thrown in for good measure, or some other oddity like himself, volunteers from the hinterland.
The other NCOs were quite friendly, as they had already made their acquiantance in the rubble of Aden. However, after catching him reading the Orders of the Day (Croatian version) letter by letter, they had cried out that it did not become an NCO to have the reading skills of a private, and that they will "work on his reading skills". That worried him a bit - but if need be he had his bayonet.
He wondered what their duties in the Filipenland would be ...
   
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Borys    
Posted: Oct 24 2006, 04:05 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Aden, July 1903

- "God, it was hot!" - thought Baumundziegel. But the heat apart, things were going well. He just got mail from Vienna detailing resources allocated to the reconstruction of the port. With the electric generators he had set up, work will be able to proceeed at night time, skipping the heat of the day. By Christmass the first ships will be able to get normal service.
The drydock was not such a success story - although cleared of debris, they had discovered that the locks and sluices were damaged as well - further months of the work with the men and machines he had at hand.
The city was growing nicely and not too fast. He had finally decided at contuor following streets, with both easy and serpentine streets leading upwards, as well as steeply inclined direct passages. Stairs for the impatient lent a medditeranean air.
The army did provide a korps level field hospital and the quacks were not so bad after all. And they did find some midwives - his nightmares of screaming females abated ...
One day he had been astonished to see some dark faces in white cowls - "the Arabs were back?" - but these turned out to be Abissynians from Zeila.

By now he had two regiments of the Auslander Korps and rotated them from their camps at the edges of the Tottenkopf Gebeit. To keep them doing something usefull he found a new job for them - they were exploring and charting and clearing up the gullies he suspected to the catchment system for cisterns on the Mountain.

One day he noted a variety of uniforms on the sweat drenched Freiwilligers clearing ruble out of one of the gullies. Not only were they wearing different shades of the customary Austrian blue, but some wore grey, some wore brown and some just wore a ... a dirty looking color. The cuts of the trousers and jackets were also different from the standard, and a broad variety at that. He beconed to the Feldfebel supervising this detail.
- "Why the different uniforms?"
Haiducescu explained:
- "Sir, the garrison gotten experimental uniforms for testing. We be testing them here, while another company be testing them on patrols in the desert and hills. They is to be future general army issue."
The oberst noded, to show that the answer in poor German was satisfactory.
- "Proceed."
   
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Borys    
Posted: Dec 5 2006, 06:00 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Aden, late February 1904


Hans Peter Baumundziegle was almost levitating with pride. First a visit by the Kaiser, then by TWO Kaisers. And the Brandenburger one was lavish with praise and medals, as the starburst (called "eggsplash" behind his back) on his chest testified. The Imperial visits were somethign to tell his children about. Maybe it was time to bring Umtraut and the children to Aden?
The Emperor himself took a walk around the town, and was gleefully climbing the main mountain and half way up before yet another of this winter's downpours began, and had enough knowledge of mountains to clamber out of the gully to avoid being washed away.
Happily Stefan, even if not forthcoming with medals, did acknowledge his work done here and he now wore a Generalmajor's stars!
The Gran Columbian diplomat swore by the Immaculate Conception and his wife's wedding night virtue that such rains were unheard off during previous years. Nor was it normal for the Uadi Kaabir to be running and silting up the harbor for 2 months flat out.

Even with the port cleared up and operational, he could see that it was a long way to go. They could barely do any work on the cruisers, with any jobs being done very slowly. In part the yard workers were not usd to warship work, and partly they lacked the necessary equipment. As they could barely service torpedo boats, he could see that the military port badly needed expansion. He, an Army man! But that would have to wait, as at present they were getting 'round to readying the drydock for operations. Only a couple of months of work on that was necessary, chiefly installing and checking machinery.

   
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Borys    
Posted: Dec 10 2006, 03:42 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Aden, 10th of March 1904

Oh, most Powerful of Monarchs! May You always bask in Allah's Grace!
May Your lands be fruitfull, Your loins spew only sons, and Your People free of Political Correctness!

I, a worthless slave of the Austrian Sultan, send you a small gift begging for even a tiniest of glances at it.

The last amongst the Austrian Sultan's slaves
Governor of Aden
General-Major Hans-Peter Baumundziegel

* The Sultan gets a 70mm mountain gun (with ammunition), the brass barrel polished to mirror like quality, and a small chest filled with gold coins
   
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P3D    
Posted: Dec 10 2006, 04:20 PM


Hegemon
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March 18, Cape Town

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

'The Omani Sultan decided that the governor of Aden, Generalmajor Baumundziege is his friend'.
'What is the cause of this change?'
'They were on good terms before, but Generalmajor Baumindziege did not forget to send some birthday present to Musqat.'
'When is His Majesty's birthday?'
'As far as I know, sometimes in September.'
'We should not have neglected him... What help can we expect from him then?'
'About Aden and the Habsburgs, nothing. About the DKB, he will exploit the situation when the DKB won't threaten him. We can still station ships in Musqat, at least.'
   
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Borys    
Posted: Dec 25 2006, 05:34 PM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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SMS Pandur, half way between Aden and Zeila, 10th of April 1904

Generaloberst Hans-Penter Baumundzuegel looked back at the two extinct volcanos towering over Aden. Hadn't it been for that verfluchte Satan-worshiper supporting French warmongers, the dry-dock would had been readied by summer's end. However, the blockade kept the machinery from getting to Aden. And knowing life, it was likely that somebody at Pola or Triest will decide that equipment intended for his port can be immediatelly put to use somewhere nearer to home ...

Work on the cisterns had resumed after the winter rains had ended, and the threat of flashfloods gone away. He chuckled. He had - by accident - hit upon a very cheap way of providing expert supervision for the workers and legionnaires partly building, partly RE-building the system of cisterns on the Djebel Schamsan. Namely, the offer of free transport, anpower, lodging and food had been attractive enough for several universities to send junior archeologists to have a go at the remains of the previous system. Thus, even if the use of an enthusiastic half a dozen academics did not make for speedy progress, the precision of surveying and attenton to detail were beyond reproach. And speed was not off essence. Two years or four, it did not matter. And instead of using a like number of military engineers, he kept only one to half an eye on the university fellows. And maybe this will earn him a footnote about him in some archeological work ...


His thoughts went back to this trip. From his previous, unnoficial, visits he knew that Zeila had become something of a boomtown. In fact, part of the settlers for Aden had slipped across the strait to the Ethiopian town. And no wonder - with all the construction work in Aden going on, and the more than 30 thousand people to feed, there was business to be made. He had suported the setup of meat and fish canning workshops - easier to carry cans across any possible blockade than the "raw materials" for them.
The only problem of the growing town was water, but he had sent engineers in civilian clothing to set up a short 3' track to the wells at Tajkosha, 3 miles away, from where oxen now pulled cistern cars to quench the thirst of the boomtown.

That act had marked the begining of his relationship with the local governor. To further assure his source of supplies, he agreed to quietly train cadres for the Fitawrari Yohannes - several young officers were presently being trained by AL NCOs, and participating in operations in the Tottenkopf gebeit. Two gun crews were also being trained. Among 25000 soldiers of different nationalities a few Ethopians were guarantied to pass without notice. Why, a few - not related with the governor's men - had already enlisted!

On this trip he hoped to negotiate expansion of the Abissynian-Austrian relationship. He saw the possibility of construction of a railrod into the interior. Pure gain for both sides - the Ethopians would be able to move exports to the coast, and from Zeila lighters or small craft - due to shallowness of the otherwise excellent harbour - would transport the wares to Aden for loading onto freighters. Happily the French railroad building venture from Djibuti had ran into difficulties - squabbles between the shareholders had led to excessive fleecing of the Abbissynians, who by 1902 had gotten pissed off enough as to make the Emperor demand a stop to line extension beyond Dire Dawa. Still suffering from shareholder squabling, and with a much shorter than planned line to make money on, the venture was slowly going bancrupt. Or maybe Yohannes would prefer to develop the other port in his province - Berbera, also a source of produce for Aden.
   
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Borys    
Posted: Feb 6 2007, 04:52 AM


Kaiser und Koenig Stefan
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Aden, 20th of September 1904

TA-DA! Blared the band.
- "Finally!" - thought Baumundziege. After a half year's delay the last necessary equipment and parts had arrived. That French blokade really was a bore! So finally the drydock was open for business again. The Naval officers were besides themselves with enthusiasm - they kept chatting about "cleaning bottoms", "fouled bottoms", "overgrown bottoms", "scratching bottoms" - one couldn't get any sense out of them at the moment. Especially that he was a leg-man himself.
He pushed aside his curiosity about a new instruction from Vienna - that he was to give a private audience to a certain "Father Raban" and lend support to his schemes.

[Borys]

 25th of January 1905

Governor Baumundziege was happy. It was good to be home.
His pleas for a vessel more showy than the Graz class were answered. The SMS Innsbruck had been made available to him for a week, to make a vsit to Muscat to impress the natives. Ransaking Azorean palaces produced expected finds - like the richly encrusted saddle "rumored to had been used by the Prophet Mohammed himself". Or the lovely prayer mat of Persian make. The old bandit looked happy when he had prsented them to him. The gold coin filled box didn't hurt either.

He had kept the sword "rumored to had been used by Salah ad-Din" for another occasion.

On other fronts, Navy officers voiced their concerns that there was absolute silence from Vienna about enlarging the military port. And pressing him to intervene about it. He was not quiet sure why, as they already had their drydock and the cruiers had "clean bottoms", whatever that was. He'll finally have to write his his brother about all that bottom business.

This winter was much drier than the previous one. "Normal", as the Colombian diplomat had said. It had rained only two times, but winter was not over yet. So he had some muddy water in the cisterns - which also pointed out where the leas were. Thank God for concrete.

The town had acuired several hundered inhabitants of a new variety. Swarthy, mustachioed and bearded fellows from Syria and their families. They brought with them various smells and scents of the Orient to the town, in its new guise inhabited by a mix of European Mediterraneans.